Thomaz Guedes da Costa, Ph.D.
Department Head and Professor
Regional and Analytical Studies Department
Education
• Ph.D. - Columbia University in the City of New York: Political Science
• M.A. - Indiana University of Pennsylvania: Public Policy
• B.A. - Indiana University of Pennsylvania: International Studies
Research Interests
• Adult education in strategic studies
• Learning of strategy
• Non-state (organized crime and insurgency) political violence and terrorism
• Small country security strategies
• United States-Brazil relations
Thomaz Guedes da Costa has been a professor at the College of International Security Affairs (CISA), National Defense University since June 2010. At CISA, he leads the Department of Regional and Analytics Studies, instructs methodology and strategy, and supervises the student thesis program. Dr. Costa has been an external examiner for the Master Program in Strategic Studies for the University of the West Indies, Jamaica, and a Visiting-Professor at the Fundação Getúlio Vargas (Rio de Janeiro). He is also a contributing editor on Brazil’s international relations for the Library of Congress’ Handbook on Latin American Studies, and is in the editorial team of the Revista Brasileira de Política Internacional.
Dr. Thomaz Costa served as a scientific analyst in Brazil’s National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, 1980-1999) and in the Center for Strategic Studies, the Secretariat for Strategic Affairs at the Office of the Presidency. His duties included research and interagency tasks related to national defense, international security issues, intelligence education, strategic planning, scientific development, and security and development in the Amazon region. Dr. Costa led several conceptual initiatives on Brazil’s implementation of the national defense policy (1992-1999). He was an intern at the Office of Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (1977), and worked as an international market analyst for the aircraft manufacturer Embraer (1977-1980). Throughout his career, Dr. Costa led or participated in national defense and security workshops, conferences, and seminars, and consulted for governments and educational institutions especially in Latin American and the Caribbean regions. He contributed to collaborative study groups in security issues, such as those organized by the Club de Madrid, The Woodrow Wilson for International Scholars, the Faculdad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, RESDAL, and Science-Pol. Before joining CISA. Dr. Thomaz Costa taught at the Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies (CHDS, 1999-2010), serving as course developer and director, Associate Dean, Acting Dean of Academics, and professor of strategy and defense policy, interagency coordination and counterterrorism, and Caribbean security (1999-2010). He also taught at the International Relations Department, University of Brasilia (1991-1999). He was born in Rio de Janeiro, and served in the Brazilian Army in 1970.
Recent Publications:
“The Teaching of Strategy: Lykke’s Balance, Schelling’s Exploitation, and a
Community of Practice in Strategic Thinking.” In Teaching
Strategy: Challenge and Response, edited by Gabriel Marcella, 203-40. Carlisle: Strategic Studies Institute, 2010.
“Grand Strategy for Assertiveness: International Security and U.S-Brazil Relations.”
Challenges to Security in the Hemisphere, Center for Hemispheric Policy,
University of Miami, 24 mar 2010. Online available at
https://www6.miami.edu/hemispheric-policy/Task_Force_Papers/Costa-Grand_Strategy_for_Assertiveness.pdf
“International Relations: Brazil.” In Handbook of Latin American Studies. Vols. 63 and 65 Social Sciences. Edited by Tracy North and Katherine D. McCann (Hispanic Division, Library of Congress). Austin, University of Texas, 2008/2010. [Volume 67, forthcoming].
“Political Security.” In Globalisation and Environmental Challenges, Reconceptualising Security in the 21st Century, edited by Hans Brauch et alli, 561-568. Berlin, Springer-Verlag, 2007.
“The Puzzle of the Iguazu Tri-Border Area: Many Questions and Few Answers
Regarding Organised Crime and Terrorism Links” (with Gastón H. Schulmeister). Global Crime, 8, (1, 2007):26-39.
